Spring-fastener for trunks



(No Model.)

I. W. EGBERT. Spring Fastener for Trunks.

Patented Feb. 15,1881.

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rLPrRs. PHOIO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D C,

ISAAO W. EGBERT, OF NEWARK, ASSIGNOR TOA WILLIAM B. GOUIJD, OF MONTROSE, NEW JERSEY.

SPRING-FASTENER FOR TRUNKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 237,680, dated February 15,1881.

Application filed December 7, 1880.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, IsAAc W. EGBERT, of Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented an Improved Spring-Bolt Attachment for Trunks, of which the following is a specification. y

Figure l is a face view of'my improved spring-bolt attachment. Fig. 2 is a back view of the same. Fig. 3 is a Vertical central sec- -tio:u thereof7 showing the bolt closed; Fig. 4,

a similar section showing the bolt open. Fig. 5 is ahorizontal section of the same 011 the line c c, Fig. l.

The object of this invention is toproduce a bolt for use near the ends of trunk-lids,which bolt shall be easily unfastened when the trunk is to be opened, easily fastened when the trunk is to be closed, and which will remain in the locked and also in the unlocked position as long as may be desired.

Larger trunks usually have bolts near the ends, independentof the locks, for the purpose of properly uniting the ends of the lid or cover with the ends of the trunk.

Heretofore these devices were usually made in the form ot' spring-hasps, or of catches which will liy shut whenever the trunk is closed, and which, in many cases, had to be specially looked after, even when it was not specially desired to lock the trunk.

My invention consists in the combination of a sliding bolt with a retaining and a receiving socket, and with a spring which will hold the bolt either in the closed or open position, all as hereinafter more fully described.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter A represents the bolt-retainin g socket-that is to say, a socket made of suitable material adapted to be fastened to the lid L of the trunk, and in which the bolt B is suspended. O is the receiving-socket, adapted to be fastened below the socket A to the bodyM of the trunk. These two sockets are in line with each other, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and they are made with suitable anges, which bear against the surface of the lid and body of the trunk to which they are respectively applied, said iianges having suitable holes or other provision to receive fastening-screws, nails, or other devices.

In the interior of the socket C is securely (No model.)

held a spring, D, which is clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4. This spring has abackwardlyinclined upper portion, a, which is in line with an opening, b, that is formed in the face of the socket O.

The bolt B has a head, d, at the upper end, and an outwardly-projecting shoulder, e, at the lower part. When the bolt is pushed down, (the two sockets being in line and in Contact with each other, as in Fig. 3,) so that the head d will rest upon the upper end of the socket A, as in Fig. 3, the spring D will crowd the lower end of the bolt outward, so that the shoulder e will enter the cavity or aperture b and bear against the upper end of said cavity or opening. In this position of parts the bolt locks the two sockets A and O together, and, consequently, also the cover and trunk to which the same are respectively attached.

Now,-if the trunk is to be opened,it is only necessary to push the lower part of the bolt.

inward by inserting the linger through the opening b. This backward pressure will cause the inclined back edge,f, of the bolt to press against and at the same time ride up on the inclined upper portion, a, of the spring D, so that the effect of inserting the finger through the opening b, and of pressing the bolt backward, will be to cause the bolt to travel upward into the position shown in Fig. 4. ln this position the shoulder e will be behind the face-plate of the socket 0,'and thebolt will no longer interfere with the opening and closing of the trunk, nor will the bolt of its own accord fall shut again. When the bolt is up, a projection, g, on the bolt comes under and against 'an edge, h, of the socket A, thus preventing the bolt from ying out in an upward direction. It can only be made tolelock the two sockets by pressing the linger upon its upper end and forcing it downward, the spring at the same timeforcing the lower end of the bolt outward into the position shown in Fig. 3.

It is evident that, although I have shown the bolt-receiving socket O below the socket A, the sockets may be reversed with equal effect, so that the socket U will be above the socket Aand the bolt held in the lower socket instead of in the upper.

I claim- TOO 1. The combination of Iche bolt B, having having; inclined end a, all arranged to operate 1o head d, with the bolt-retaining socket A, and substantially as described. with the bolt-receiving socket (Lhaving open- 3. The combination of the bolt B, having ing b, and spring D, whereby the spring will head d, shoulder c, and stop g, with the sock- 5 hold the bolt in the locked and also in the ets A C and spring D, as described.

open position, substantially as described. ISAAC XV. EGBERT.

2. The combination of the socket C, having Witnesses:

opening b, with the bolt B, having shoulder WLLLY G. E. SCHULTZ,

e and inclined back f, and with the spring D, WILLIAM H. C. SMITH. 

